A Work of Art
by Chocolate-daddy
Summary: The Avatar has brought peace to the land, but now he must take on his biggest struggle of all. Bringing peace to a troubled woman's soul. Aang x OC
1. Chapter 1

**A Work of Art **

Hello all! So this is my new Avatar the Last Airbender fic, I'm hoping all goes well with it. It takes place 6 years after the final episode making Aang 18 or so. Also I'd read The Search if you haven't already, there may be some minor spoilers concerning Zuko's mom. Tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Avatar but I do own Zhen.

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Peace had finally arrived to the four nations and after years of restoration, the people were able to truly rejoice. The habitants of the Fire Nation had trouble adapting to the rule of their new Fire Lord at first and while some still clung to the radical ideas of former Fire Lord Ozai, most had accepted and embraced Fire Lord Zuko. But others were still wary of those who came from the former tyrannical nation. Try as he might, there was only so much Fire Lord Zuko could do to get others to welcome his people. It had been six years since the demise of Ozai and the sight of a Fire Nation inhabitant still brought unease. And the Avatar hoped to bring a change to this with the help of his good friend.

Aang had been travelling around the four nations for some time, spreading the word of peace as he went. With most of his companions in tow; Toph was forced to stay behind as she had work with her new earth bending academy, they arrived at the Fire Nation village of Hira'a. It had been a few years since they'd been to this particular village, not since they searched for Zuko's mother. They were welcomed with open arms and the mayor of the village quickly through together a small festival. Nothing but the best for the Avatar and his Water Tribe companions.

"You know, a guy could get used to this kind of treatment." Sokka exclaimed after falling onto a plush floor pillow.

"Don't let it get to your head." Katara scolded while taking a seat next to her brother.

"I'm just saying." He shrugged.

Aang crossed his arms and smiled. "This is nice though, you've got to admit."

Before their conversation could continue, Mayor Jinko entered their tent.

"It's an honor to have you and your friends in our humble village once more Avatar Aang." He greeted with a polite bow.

"Please, Aang is fine." Aang replied, bowing in return.

"Of course, is everything to your liking?" he asked.

Katara stood and offered him a small nod. "You and your people have been very hospitable Mayor Jinko."

"It's an honor to have you all here; I ask that you visit all of the shops we've prepared for you."

Jinko bowed once more before taking his leave.

"Well you heard the man, let's get out there." Sokka exclaimed, jumping up to his feet and grabbing the other two by their arms. With a goofy grin, he dragged them out of their tent and led them towards the festivities. There were plenty of stands to look at and Sokka made sure to take up anyone who offered them free food. Whenever they passed by a stand that had a game, Aang insisted that they all play and despite not winning very often, he still received a prize every time. Which he passed on to Katara or a child that passed by.

"Oh Aang, I couldn't accept this," Katara said after he offered her a small fish he'd won, "we can't take this on our travels."

While her reasoning was sound, it still slightly hurt his ego that she'd declined his gift. He still had a soft spot for his close friend. Sometimes they would share a secret kiss in the heat of the moment, but Aang was hoping for something more public. He had strong feelings for her and he wanted the whole world to know it. But Katara wanted to be absolutely positive before jumping into a relationship. He'd wait for as long as she wanted him to.

Aang nodded. "You're right."

He stopped a small girl running past them.

"Hey kiddo, do you think you could take care of this little guy for me?" he asked.

The girl's eyes were wide with awe and her mouth gaped. Aang chuckled and reached down to ruffle her hair.

"I'll take that as a yes."

She nodded and held her hands out for the bag. He smiled as she accepted the gift.

"Thank you Mister Avatar Sir, I'll name him Aang I promise." She explained, admiring her new pet.

"The honor is all mine."

The girl giggled before skipping away with her gift in tow. Katara placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.

"You made that kid's day." She said.

"More like you made her whole life." Sokka added.

"Just doing my Avatar duties, all in a day's work."

They continued visiting all of the stalls, making sure to speak to everyone who stopped them. The people of Hira'a were truly humble. Katara stopped at one particular stall that sold various ceramic pieces.

"Look at how pretty these are," she grinned, "let's go in."

The two men followed after her as she approached the stall, immediately making her way to the back. Aang let his eyes scan each and every piece, admiring the beauty each vessel held. Some had subtle shapes, but had colorful vibrant glazes. Others had delicate etching that must have taken a skilled hand to create. He picked up one particular vase and was surprised by how light it was, it looked like it would be heavy but that wasn't the case. With the utmost care, he set the vase back on its stand, making sure he didn't knock it over. With his hands behind his back, he ventured to the back where Katara was speaking to the owner of the stand.

"Oh Aang there you are," she said.

By the time Aang got to Katara's side, the owner of the stand was already bent forward in a polite bow.

"It's an honor to meet you Avatar." She greeted.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "No need for the formalities, please call me Aang."

The woman straightened up and offered him a smile. "Then please call me Zhen."

Aang was taken aback by how young she appeared. Zhen looked to be around his age. The pieces on display looked as though they'd needed years of expertise to create and yet she was already creating beautiful works as well as running her own business. He stared into her golden eyes; typical of a Fire Nation native, and noticed the warmness in them.

_Perhaps she's always been naturally talented. _

"It's nice to meet you Zhen."

She tucked a lock of black hair that had slipped from her bun behind her ear and smiled.

"So did you make all of these?" he gestured around the stall, hoping to quell his curiosity.

Zhen nodded. "I did, pottery has been an art that has always been in my family."

"Well you've done a wonderful job." Katara said.

"You mustn't flatter me Katara; I'm simply carrying on the family business."

"I'm just stating the truth."

Sokka took this moment to make an appearance. "Hey guys, I'm going to go look around some more and grab a bite to eat, I'm starving! I'll come find you guys later."

And with that, Sokka was gone again. Katara huffed and placed her hands on her hips.

"Don't mind him, that's just my brother Sokka. He thinks with his stomach rather than his brain." Katara explained.

Zhen chuckled. "It's not a problem. It's wonderful that you all are here, but I'm curious as to what brought you to our little village."

"We're here helping ease the tensions people have with the Fire Nation." Aang said.

"I understand why people are apprehensive. After all it was the Fire Nation who started the war and made if continue for one hundred years. While I didn't approve of the war, I'm still a member of the nation that fueled it." Zhen sighed.

"And that's what we're trying to fix, people like you shouldn't suffer because of something the last Fire Lord did." Katara said with a sympathetic smile.

"I wish you all the best of luck then."

Aang cleared his throat. "So Zhen, are you a bender?"

It was slight, but he noticed how Zhen's shoulders tensed.

"No I'm not," Zhen changed the direction of the conversation, "you all should have come in a couple of weeks. We have been preparing a production of _Love Amongst the Dragons. _It's a real treat to see."

"A friend of ours really enjoys that show," Katara looked to Aang, "maybe we can come back and see it. Zuko's said great things about it."

"That sounds like a great idea."

"It really is a great production; it's our village's pride and joy." Zhen added.

The three young adults began talking about anything that came into their heads and Aang enjoyed Zhen's company, she had a lot to talk about. Aang was about to explain why jasmine tea was his favorite when the small girl he'd given the fish to dashed into the stall

"Mister Avatar Sir, please come quick!"

Panic settled into the pit of his stomach as he ran out of the stall with Katara behind him. His eyes settled onto the small group of people that had formed a circle near a large tree. When they noticed his arrival, they part ways for him. It's then he notices Sokka lying on the ground, his leg bent incorrectly. He drops to his knees beside his friend.

"Sokka what in the world happened?" Katara asked.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "It was an honest mistake really; I was climbing a tree so I could get a cat out of a tree for someone. And well…then I slipped. "

Aang looked up to Katara. "I can't fix breaks with water; we'll have to wait until it heals."

"Do you think he'd be okay to travel on Appa?" He asked.

"I wouldn't suggest it."

"I'm fine with staying here, everyone has been great." Sokka added.

Aang nodded in agreement. "I think that sounds like a great idea."

Mayor Jinko stepped forward with a group of men holding a stretcher. "We will make arrangements for you all to stay in our village for as long as you need. We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience we have caused you all."

"It wasn't your fault, you don't need to apologize." Katara said.

Aang got up on his feet to help transfer Sokka onto the stretcher. He looked to Katara and couldn't stop the goofy grin that appeared on his face.

"I guess we can see that play now."

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So what do you think? Let me know? Is everyone in character?


	2. Chapter 2

**A Work of Art **

Hello all, thanks for everyone who read and followed/favorited this story. I appreciate it. Usually I never update this fast, but I am on a writing frenzy. Although please excuse any grammar errors, it's 1 in the morning over here. But if anyone is willing to be a Beta, I'd be down for that. Thanks guys!

Disclaimer: I don't own ATLAB, but I do own Zhen

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Hira'a went into a frenzy when the Avatar and his friends decided they would say in the village so Sokka's leg could be treated properly. They were given the finest room at the local inn and fresh produce was delivered daily. But after a few days had gone by, everyone settled back into their usual routines. Zhen for one wasn't letting all of the excitement get to her head. She continued on with her daily work, her line of work stopped for no man, Avatar or not. Currently she was dragging a small cart behind her, the bottom sagging from the weight of the clay it was carrying. Sweat formed along her brow as she made her way towards her home, the sun showing no mercy on her.

"Would you like some help with that?" A pleasant voice asked.

Zhen looked back to see a smiling Katara.

"I would hate to trouble you with something as small as this."

"Are you sure?"

Zhen nodded. "I'd enjoy some company if you're willing to spare some time."

"Absolutely."

The two young women started their walk together.

"So what's this stuff for?" Katara asked, gesturing towards Zhen's cart.

"It's clay so I can get back to work, I provide a lot of table wares for the area." She explained.

"Do you like pottery?"

Zhen pursed her lips and shrugged. "I suppose I do, it's always been in my family so I've always been around it. You could say it's in my blood."

"That's great that you get to do something that you like. Especially since it's been in your family, are they around?"

"No, they're not around anymore." She said in a clipped voice.

"Oh I'm sorry…"

Zhen shook her head. "You shouldn't apologize; you had nothing to do with their deaths."

"If it's any consolation, I know how hard it is to lose a family member. I lost my mother to a Fire Nation raid a long time ago."

"My apologies." Zhen offered before pulling her cart up to her house.

"Now didn't you just say you shouldn't apologize for something you had no part in?"

With a soft smile Zhen said, "But the thing is, I'm a member of the Fire Nation."

"That doesn't mean you were a part of the raid Zhen."

"I suppose you're right. Would you mind helping me carry these in?"

Together, the two women emptied the cart one bag of clay at a time and delivered them to Zhen's work shop in the back of the house. By the time they'd finished, Zhen's armed ached in protest, but at least she had Katara to help lighten the work load. She noticed how Katara's eyes lit up as she gazed around all of the tools that decorated the walls.

"Have you ever done anything with ceramics?" Zhen asked, making her ways towards her rack of aprons.

"Me? No I've never really had a chance to."

Zhen tossed an apron in the water bender's direction. "Well here's your chance."

A grin made its way onto Katara's face as she slipped the apron on. In the meantime, Zhen opened a fresh bag of clay and with a wire, cut Katara a small slab. With a flick of her wrist, she gestured for Katara to join her by the table. She cleaned off a spot with a rag and slapped the clay onto the table.

"You'll need to begin by wedging so you can get out any air that's stuck in the clay."

"Um…wedging?" Katara gave her a confused look.

Zhen chuckled. "Imagine you're kneading dough."

"Now that I can do."

Under Zhen's watchful eye, Katara wedged the clay until it was ready for molding.

"Why don't you start with something small like a coil pot?"

With her own slab of clay, Zhen quickly demonstrated how to make a coil pot, showing her the proper techniques. She stopped her student half way through and made her redo her coils; they were far too thin and continued to split apart. But soon Katara was making coils like a professional and used the serrated rib to attach the coils with ease. After thirty minutes had gone by, Katara held out her finished coil pot. It was mediocre at best, but for her first time, it was pretty good.

Katara chuckled sheepishly after passing on her pot to Zhen.

"It's not very impressive is it?"

"You did a great job." Zhen offered while placing Katara's coil pot on a rack to dry.

"I bet you could do something ten times better with your eyes closed, could you possibly show me?"

"I would love to."

Zhen retrieved another slab of clay while she had Katara fill a bucket of water. When the clay was to her liking, she sat at her kick wheel and slapped the clay down onto the plate. After wetting her hands from the bucket, she began stepping on the pedal of the kick wheel to start the plate spinning. Zhen sucked in a breath before placing her hands in the clay and centering it. As soon as she began to open up the clay with her thumbs, she lost herself in a daze. Using a throwing wheel had become second nature to her. Molding the clay whichever way she pleased gave her a sense of power, the clay submitted to her. But she also felt powerless; she had to submit to the clay as well. If one air bubble formed, the structure would collapse. It was a constant push and pull with ceramics, there was only so much she could do before the clay would reach its limits and fall apart.

"Wow," Katara exclaimed, "it's beautiful."

"Huh?"

Zhen shook her head, pulling herself out from her daze. She moved her hands away to reveal an ornate jar. She hadn't realized how long she'd been throwing, her thoughts had pulled her away from the task at hand, but after years of the craft, her hands knew what to do even though her mind was elsewhere.

"You made it look so flawless, like one fluid motion."

"Thank you Katara."

She lifted the plate from the wheel and transferred the plate to the drying rack. She went through her cleaning process with Katara's assistance and in no time the workshop was in pristine condition.

"It will take a day or two to dry and then I can fire it for you," Zhen offered, "then you can glaze it."

"That's wonderful; please let me know when I can come back. I actually like watching you make things."

"It's a pleasure to have you, you're always welcome here."

Zhen led Katara through the work shop and back to the main part of her house. She offered the water bender a cup of tea, but she politely declined.

"I'd love to stay, but I should probably head back to check up on Sokka."

They said their goodbyes and Katara went on her way. Zhen returned to her work shop and before she could get started, she realized she was beginning to run low on firewood. With an irritated huff, she retrieved her axe from the cabinet and went outside. She hated when she ran out of firewood, it was a real pain. She tossed the axe into her cart along with a water canteen and started making her way towards the woods. But she didn't get far when someone called her name. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the blue arrow on his head before heading down to his eyes.

"Oh, hello Aang."

"Hey Zhen, where are you headed?" he asked, matching her steady pace.

"I ran out of firewood for the kiln, I need more." She gestured to her cart.

"Would you like some help?" he offered.

"Oh no, I can handle it. But thank you for the offer."

"It's a little too hot to be cutting wood by yourself, with some help you would be done twice as fast. " He protested, taking the handle of her cart before she could protest.

"If you insist."

Aang and Zhen walked towards the forest and ventured a little bit past the tree line. She lifted her axe from the cart and as she got ready to swing, Aang held out his hand and stopped her. Startled, she jumped back with a yelp, the axe slipping from her grasp and clattering onto the ground.

"Spirits Aang, I could have chopped your arm off!" Zhen cried.

He grinned. "Sorry Zhen, but I think I can help you get done a lot faster than using an axe."

He reached for her canteen and pulled off the cap. Aang bent the water to his will and used it to slice through a thick tree limb. Zhen took a step back and watched as the limb tumbled to the forest floor. Letting Aang take the reins, she watched as he bent the water to cut the limbs down to a more transportable size. When he finished, she slowly clapped her hands.

"Well done, you're putting those Avatar skills to good use." She teased.

"I'm just doing my Avatar duties is all."

They both laughed and started transporting the logs to her cart. Aang had a good eye, the tree limb he'd cut down provided enough to fill her cart.

"And we didn't even break a sweat." He said.

"Although you did use up my water."

She smiled before grabbing the handle of her cart and made her way into town. Aang tried to pull it, but she refused. She wasn't about to let him do all the work. The walk back was spent in a comfortable silence until the Avatar spoke up.

"I bet it would be pretty easy to make pottery if you were a fire bender."

Zhen looked at him out of the corner of her eye and without missing a beat replied, "I suppose it would be, I don't mind it though."

"I bet it's a part of the craft."

"I agree."

They arrived at her home just as the sun was beginning to set and she parked her wagon by the front door.

"I appreciate you helping Aang." She politely bowed to him.

"It was my pleasure; it's the least I could do. Everyone in your village has been giving us plenty of gifts as it is."

"Well regardless, I'm thankful for the help. I'll see you around Aang."

She placed a hand on the door and was about to slide it open when he stopped her.

"Oh yeah, I forgot why I came over in the first place. Have you seen Katara? Sokka was asking for her."

"She had actually just left when you arrived, you must have just missed her."

Aang huffed. "Darn, well she'll probably be back at the inn. Have a good evening Zhen."

She waved at his retreating figure before slipping into her house. After finding a match she lit a few candles, blowing out the match when she finished. As she made her way to the kitchen to prepare, a painting of her family caught her eye. Zhen gulped and shook her head, a frown replacing the smile she'd been wearing. Through her nose, she sucked in a deep breath, ignoring the way the candle's flame grew.

"You deserve this."

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So how did things go? Was it good? Let me know.


	3. Chapter 3

**A Work of Art**

Alright so this is pretty short, it's an intro for the next chapter. Thanks to everyone who's been reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Avatar, but I do own Zhen

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Aang and Katara sat peacefully while sipping on jasmine tea in the lobby of the inn. He couldn't stop the goofy grin that made its way onto his face after taking a peek at her, even a simple look was enough to make his stomach flutter. He thought back to the good old days, right after the war when he could kiss her whenever he wanted. As they grew older, Katara insisted they slow down and go back to being just friends; that they had all the time in the world to be romantically involved with one another. As much as it frustrated him, he would wait. He'd wait forever if Katara wanted him to. He sighed and slurped his tea, careful not to burn his tongue.

"Aang did you hear me?"

"Huh?"

Katara chuckled. "I was talking about Sokka's leg."

"What about it?"

"I was just saying that it's looking better…well at the very least he isn't complaining about it anymore. I bet in a couple more weeks we could keep moving on."

Aang offered a smile. "Maybe, this place is actually starting to grow on me."

Katara nodded. "Yeah me too, everyone has been really nice to us. I even got to try something new."

"You did?" he asked.

"Did I not tell you? I visited Zhen and she showed me how to make a coil pot," Katara sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, "although mine looked hideous compared to Zhen's work."

"Oh yeah, she told me that she'd run into you. I didn't know you spent time together though."

"It was nice, she said she'd come get me after it's fired so I can glaze it. She seems pretty quiet though." Katara said.

"I noticed that too, she was overly polite."

"Same to me, maybe that's just how she was raised. I wonder what happened to her family." She tapped her chin.

"I'm kind of curious; she seems pretty secretive about it. I bet it was serious."

As if the Spirits had known they'd been gossiping, Aang noticed Zhen's figure walking past a window. His throat tightened as guilt settled into the pit of his stomach. He shouldn't have been gossiping and he knew it too.

"Ah that girl." Said a frail voice from behind him.

He looked back and saw two older women seated at a table; they'd also noticed the ceramic artist walk by.

"You know it's a shame what happened to her."

The other woman nodded. "Isn't it? That accident really took a toll; I remember how rambunctious she was when she was a child."

"Now she hardly speaks unless it's necessary."

"Poor kid."

The two women talked about Zhen for a few seconds longer before switching subjects. Aang exchanged a look with his companion before pushing away from the table and heading upstairs to their room. When they arrived, Katara shut the door behind them.

"So there was an accident," she started, "that's so sad."

"It's not really any of our business though, if Zhen wants to tell us then she can. We shouldn't try to pry or anything." Aang stated, wanting to preserve the young woman's privacy.

"What is Zhen gonna tell us?" Sokka asked from his spot on a cushion.

"Nothing in particular." Katara said.

"Well alrighty then, did you get that steamed slug like I asked?'

Aang slapped his forehead. "Sorry Sokka, I forgot I was supposed to do that."

Sokka's stomach took that moment to release a loud grumble and that's how Aang found himself at the market with a basket in tow. He found a vendor that sold the steamed slug Sokka had asked for. While he waited for his purchase, he felt a tug on his pants. He looked down and saw the small girl who he'd given the goldfish to. She grinned, revealing a gap where her two front teeth should be.

"Hi mister Avatar!" she greeted.

"Hello to you little miss." He grinned.

She giggled. "My name isn't miss! It's Nu Wa!"

Aang squatted down and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you Nu Wa."

She eagerly shook his hand. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

He shrugged. "Not much, is something going on?"

"Opening night of _Love Amongst Dragons _is tomorrow," Nu Wa began bashfully kicking around some dirt, "I was wondering if you'd come watch it with me."

Her cheeks had become a vibrant shade of red. Aang smiled and placed a hand on her head, ruffling her thin black hair.

"It would be an honor to go with you."

Nu Wa released a loud girlish squeal that made his ears ring. She instructed him to meet her outside the theater thirty minutes before the show was to begin. When she skipped away, a slow clap could be heard. Aang looked over his shoulder and noticed Zhen was producing the clapping. She pulled her wagon and stood beside him.

"You've made that little girls year."

Aang shrugged. "It's nothing, she's a sweet kid."

"Nu Wa has always been energetic, I'm sure everyone will know you're seeing the play with her by sundown."

Aang's steamed slug was finished and he passed along a few silver pieces before walking with Zhen towards the inn.

"Are you going to go see the play?" he asked.

"I don't think so; I've seen it a lot."

"Oh come on, it's going to be fun."

An uncomfortable look settled onto Zhen's features. "I don't know Aang…I'll think about it okay?"

He couldn't help but feel a bit of remorse, he had no intentions of causing her discomfort. It seems he couldn't catch a break when this woman was involved.

"Alright then, well I think you should come with us, it'll be fun," he suggested, "I'd better get going, I don't want this to get cold."

They said their goodbyes and Aang returned to the inn. He handed off the steamed slug to Sokka before plopping down onto a cushion. He informed them of their plans for tomorrow night to which Katara happily agreed.

"Oh that's so exciting; Zuko's always said good things about it." She exclaimed.

"Plus we're going with Aang's new girlfriend." Sokka teased.

Aang rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say Sokka."

"Oh Aang, did you remember those moon peaches I asked for?" Katara asked.

"Darn it!"

* * *

Pretty short and sweet. See you guys next time.


	4. Chapter 4

**A Work of Art**

Hello again, I come with the newest chapter of this story. I appreciate everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited this story, it's sweet. Excuse any grammar errors, I wrote this at work and my boss has been circling my computer to see if i'm actually working. Only so much editing you can do, haha! Hope you enjoy!

Discliamer: I don't own any ATLAB

* * *

Zhen waited anxiously outside the theater with her eyes glued to the ground so as to not make any eye contact with the other villagers. It had been many years since she'd been to the theater, let alone done anything involving the Hira'a acting troupe; she'd gone out of her way to avoid them, and there she was standing there like a fool. And she was attending with the Avatar no less, surely people would notice. She was beginning to regret accepting Aang's invitation. With sweaty palms, she smoothed out her skirt and let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She knew she could handle this, she just needed to relax. _Honestly, how bad can seeing a play be? You're overreacting._

"Zhen!"

She whipped her head around in time to see Aang running towards her while frantically waving a tattooed arm. Much to her chagrin, she felt her cheeks warm up and was sure they'd become an embarrassing shade of red. The Avatar's outburst had drawn plenty of attention.

"Hi Aang." She choked out.

His head tilted slightly to the side. "Are you okay? You look a little sick."

"I'm fine, where is Nu Wa?" she replied with a shake of her head.

"I don't know actually, this is where she said to meet right?"

She nodded.

"Well I guess we'll just wait for her then, how was your day Zhen?"

She shrugged. "It was fine, same old thing. You?"

"I had a good day, I enjoyed tea with some older women downstairs and they even tried showing me how to play Pai Sho. Katara and Sokka were pretty good at it, I was a mess. I got to take out Appa too."

"Appa?"

"My flying bison."

"Oh."

They stared at one another for what felt like minutes but were only seconds before looking away.

"So where are your friends?" she asked, trying to strike up another conversation.

"Sokka's leg was starting to bug him so Katara decided she stay behind just in case something was actually wrong. It's too bad though, she was really looking forward to seeing the play."

"That is too bad."

A pregnant silence fell over the pair and Zhen began to twiddle her thumbs while Aang whistled to himself, awkwardly looking the other way. She was beginning to realize how poor her social skills were. The spirits showed mercy on them, just as Zhen was to start up with fruitless small talk, Nu Wa appeared as energetic as ever. She immediately latched onto Aang's leg in an energetic hug, a large grin on her face the entire time.

"I'm so excited, you came!" Nu Wa yelled.

Aang ruffled her dark hair. "Of course I came, but where are your parents? I thought we were seeing the play with them too."

She shook her head. "They said they would stay home because you and I are on a date."

"Oh really? Well I hope you don't mind that I brought a friend with me then," he chuckled, "Do you know who this is?"

He gestured to Zhen to which the little girl shook her head.

"She lives in the village, she makes really pretty vases and jars." he explained.

"Oh wait I do know you," she exclaimed, "I've heard my mom and dad talk about you before, they said your family-"

Panicked, Zhen cut in and effectively derailing the conversation, "Why don't we head inside, wouldn't want to get bad seats because we decided to stay outside and chat."

Aang couldn't help shooting her a concerned look before nodding in agreement. Together they entered the theater with seating not being an issue, the Avatar was given the best seats in the house for him as well as his small entourage. Zhen wiggled around in her seat until she was comfortable while Aang talked to Nu Wa. It wasn't long until the lights went out in the auditorium and the play began. The moment the first actor walked out on stage, she felt a sharp pang in her chest.

_That could have been me… _

As a girl Zhen was heavily involved in the Hira'a acting troupe, she had a passion for the stage and loved having the attention on her. Being able to become a whole different person invigorated her and she couldn't get enough of it. When she wasn't doing chores at home or in the shop, she'd be doing anything she could at the theater be it fixing a costume or running lines with her fellow acting lovers. She'd dreamed of becoming a famous actress one and tour all over the fire nation, but the dream stayed at that. A dream. As trouble began to brew in the family, she slowly began withdrawing from the troupe until finally she stopped showing up at all after one particular incident changed her life forever.

Her last show was _Love Amongst the Dragons _

Zhen watched the play with disdain lingering in her heart, mouthing the words to a line if she remembered it, and she sat as still as a statue in her seat with her eyes glued up front. She was unaware that Aang had noticed her change in demeanor, never acknowledging him when he'd look at her from the corner of his eyes.

When intermission was called, it was as if a spell had been lifted from her. Her body felt sore from being so stiff and she lifted her arms above her head causing her back to arch in a cat like fashion. She looked over and noticed Nu Wa had fallen asleep, her head resting against Aang's arm.

"What do you think of the play so far?" she asked after the auditorium cleared out.

"Are you okay Zhen?"

_He noticed… of course he noticed. He's the Avatar. _

She looked away. "It's not polite to answer a question with a question."

"The play is fine, but it's you I'm more concerned about. This whole time you've looked like someone hit you in the gut."

"I can promise you my gut is fine. I'm fine, you have nothing to worry about." She reassured him.

"Okay," he sighed, obviously disappointed with her lack of answers, "but if you ever need someone to talk to Zhen, I'm here. I feel like you haven't been yourself lately is all. I just want to make sure you're okay because you're my friend."

"That's very sweet of you Aang. I'll keep that in mind."

They stayed in their seats for the rest of intermission and it wasn't long until the show was up and running again. She made sure to relax so Aang would stop worrying, but she continued to critically analyze the play. When the Dragon Emperor finally kissed the Dragon Empress, Zhen unintentionally sucked in a sharp breath after noticing one tiny detail. Her eyes bulged and her fists tightened into tiny balls when she noticed the small scar on the Emperor's neck. _She'd_ been the one to give it to him.

_Him, of course it's him._

Her eyes prickled with tears which she tried to blink away but to no avail. She leaned in to whisper in Aang's ear.

"I'm sorry, I have to go."

Before he could ask any questions, she stood straight up, not caring if she blocked anyone's view, and left the auditorium. The muggy summer air felt thick and muggy, but she couldn't be inside anymore. She went around to the of the theater and leaned against the wall. Frustrated, she smacked her forehead.

"You're so stupid," she hissed, "you acted like a baby and caused a scene."

Her bottom lip quivered as tears slowly began their decent down her cheeks. She choked back a sob, she couldn't start bawling here. Never here.

"Zhen!"

Aang hurried towards her with a sleeping Nu Wa in her arms, panic written all over his face.

"Hey, why'd you just leave like that?!" he asked louder than he'd intended to.

She tried to look away before he could notice her puffy eyes and tear stained checks, but he'd already observed them. His face softened and he quieted down.

"Zhen…what's wrong?"

Her head dipped down, her hair creating a dark curtain to cover her face. She felt ugly. Ugly and pathetic. Certainly not how she wanted to be seen by the Avatar. It took her awhile to respond for fear of breaking down into a mess of tears, but when she finally got a hold of herself she answered him.

"The actor…the actor playing the Dragon Emperor used to be very close and important to me," she sighed, "His name is Huang and…and…he was my first love… but things started to get rough with my family and when I needed him most, he decided I was trash and not worth his time. He avoided me like the plague. Seeing him just brought things up that I never wanted to relive ever again." She explained.

Zhen pitifully chuckled. "You probably think I'm a mess."

Aang reached out and grasped her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"I would never think of you like that. I think you're a strong young lady and that you deserve a lot better. And you know what else I think?"

She shook her head.

"I think that guy is a real jerk and that you are way out of his league."

Zhen chuckled and wiped her eyes.

"Thank you Aang. And I'm sorry you had to leave the play." She mumbled.

"I chose to leave, so don't apologize okay?"

Although she did feel some guilt, she was mostly grateful for Aang. He'd been doing a lot to raise her spirits as of late. It was refreshing.

"Alright, well I'm going to head home," she started towards her house but stopped and faced him, "I promise I'll make this up to you."

"Why don't we meet up for tea tomorrow?" he suggested.

"That sounds great, it'll be my treat. I'll meet you at ten."

"That sounds perfect."

"Great…good night Aang."

He smiled. "Good night Zhen."

She offered him a small wave and continued home, forgetting about the man parading around on the stage and instead focus on the man who'd eased her most recent trouble. The Avatar truly was a deliverer of peace. She made the small trek to her house and kicked her shoes off the moment she was inside. After striking a match, she went to her bedroom lighting candles as she went until the walls were bathed in a calming light. She peeled off her clothes and exchanged them for comfortable silk sleepwear. She prepared herself for bed and with a few scrolls and a steaming cup of ginseng tea in hand, she settled onto the sofa for some nice night reading. The moon was high and bright in the sky by the time she'd finished reading, her tea losing its heat long ago. Zhen rolled up her scrolls and set them on an end table, she'd deal with the cup tomorrow. Her mouth opened wide with a yawn and she started to blow out all of the candles. As she was about to finish, a noisy knock came from her door. Slightly annoyed, she answered the door and instantly regretted it.

"What are _you _doing here?"

Huang stood there as proud as ever and she was afraid he could hear her heart beat while it thundered in her chest. Without waiting for permission, he barreled past her into the living room.

"You are not welcome here, please leave." She said, just barely maintaining a steady voice.

He approached her slowly until her nose was practically touching his chest, she felt like a small tree next to a fearsome mountain.

"Hello Zhen, I just wanted to have a quick word with you." He sneered.

Without warning, Huang's massive hand struck out against her cheek sending her onto the floor in a crumpled heap. Her head knocked against the floor, a loud ringing racking through her skull. When the feeling of shock passed she sat up, cradling her cheek which felt as if it'd been burnt with a hot coal. His triumphant gaze made her sick to her stomach.

"Now listen here you little witch, you have some nerve coming to _my _performance and ruining it by storming out. Don't think I didn't notice, you're lucky I didn't storm out there and strangle you because boy was I thinking about it. Now if I so much as see you near the theater, there will be consequences. Got it?" He explained in an eerily calm but equally menacing voice.

"Y-yes." She whimpered.

"Good, now have a good night."

He stepped over her towards the door, but stopped before actually leaving. He swiped at the stand by the door and her eyes widened when she realized what he'd done.

"NO!"

Before she could crawl over, the vase Huang had hit smashed into a hundred pieces on the floor. With trembling hands, she tried picking them up but they only slipped from her fingers. Nothing could stop the onslaught of tears and she let out an excruciating cry. The vase was made by her father and it was the last one she had from his collection. And it was destroyed.

"Oops." Huang said before walking out of the house.

Zhen's limbs went limp and she collapsed on the floor next to the broken pieces. All she could manage to do was weep before sleep finally released her from her pain, at least momentarily.

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What did you guys think? Let me know...please :D


	5. Chapter 5

**A Work of Art**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Avatar

* * *

Aang wasn't sure how he was supposed to be feeling at the moment; he'd never been stood up before. He'd promptly arrived at the tea shop and after knocking back three cups of tea, he knew Zhen wasn't coming. And while he'd only known her for a few weeks, it seemed unlike her to skip out on an appointment without any notice. With a dramatic huff, Aang had made up his mind. If Zhen couldn't meet up with him, then he'd just have to go to her. Finishing off the rest of his now lukewarm tea, he pushed away from the table and hurried out of the shop. The walk to her house gave him some time to think. Seeing her so distressed last night rubbed him the wrong way, she seemed like a confident albeit quiet young woman. That actor Huang really affected her and that did not sit well with him. A man should never cause a woman such grief that she cries, _never._

He arrives at her house and with a solid fist, knocks on her door and when he doesn't hear anything for a few seconds knocks again. Letting curiosity get the best of him, Aang peers into a window and he's shocked to see shards of clay on the ground.

"Oh no!'

He opens the door without a second thought and steps over the sharp pieces, his head whipping around searching for the owner.

"Zhen, are you here?" he calls out.

"P-Please go away." She replies from the back of the house so quietly that Aang was forced to strain his ears just to hear.

"Sorry for the intrusion." He says before ignoring her request and making his way to the back of the house. There was obviously a problem and he was going to fix it. He turns the corner and is stuck between which of the two doors to open.

"Aang please, now is not a good time." She mumbles, the sound muffled from a door.

_Got ya!_

Using her voice as a guide, he ends up in front of the door at the end of the hall. Slowly he opens the door and pokes his head in just in time to see her scurrying away towards the corner.

"Zhen, what's wrong?" he asks.

"Nothing."

"Please don't lie to me, I saw something broken by the door. Did something happen?"

"No, everything is fine." Her voice shakes.

He steps towards her and she turns away from him. With a cautious hand, he gently grabs her shoulder and turns her to face him. She immediately tucks in her chin so her hair is blocking her from view.

"Zhen please…please look at me. I want to help." He pleads.

Aang grasped her chin in between his fingers and calmly lifts her face. Rage settles into his body when he finally sees what she'd been hiding. Her eyes are puffy and red with dark rings lining them, her dark hair which has always been perfectly straight is disheveled and tangled, but her cheek is what truly enrages him. It is swollen and an angry shade of red, someone had hit her.

"Zhen tell me what happened."

With a shaking hand, she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Nothing, I fell."

She looks all over the place, desperate to avoid his gaze but also immediately giving away her lie.

_If I ever play cards, now I know Zhen is not a good teammate to have._

"Zhen…I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened. Did someone break in?"

After a long pause, she barely nods her head. "It…it was Huang."

Aang releases her and clenches his fist. He should have known it was Huang, who else besides that big idiot would break into a person's house and harm them, and a woman's home no less. Usually he would have remained calm, but knowing that he'd hit _his_friend angered him. He had to stop himself from hunting Huang down and roughing him up a bit.

"What happened?" he asked after reigning himself in.

"He was mad I caused a scene last night when I left… he broke my father's vase when he left. That's what's on the floor."

He frowns after stealing another glance at the welt on her cheek, it must be causing her so much discomfort.

"Come with me Zhen."

"E-excuse me?"

"Come with me to see Katara, she's a healer and she can help you."

Zhen shakes her head and brushes past him. "Oh spirits no, I can't go out like this."

With a gentle touch, he grabs her hand to turn her around and face him. Her golden eyes dart all over before finally landing on his own grey ones. He can see the panic, it's written all over her face and he can only hope that he can calm her unsettled nerves.

"Please come with me."

"I'll go." She sighs.

Aang waits for her to step into her slippers before leading her outside. He takes charge and directs her towards the inn, going out of his way to keep her hidden from the curious eyes of the villagers. They arrive at the inn and without a word to the inn keeper, pulls her up to the room. But instead of seeing Katara, they're greeted by Sokka who's lounging on the plush sofa, his leg propped up with a pillow.

"Where's Katara?"

"You just missed her, said she was going down to the market for some girl stuff." Sokka explains.

Aang has to resist the urge to slap his forehead, of course she just left. He turns to Zhen.

"I'll be right back, I promise."

Before Zhen could mutter a word, Aang had already dashed out the door leaving her behind with the water tribe sibling she wasn't as familiar with. Discomfort immediately settled into her stomach as she slowly shuffled to a free chair and sat down. The tension did not go unnoticed by Sokka.

"So uh, what brings you to our humble abode?" he asks, gesturing around the room.

"Aang wanted me to come."

Silence settled again, the only sound coming from Sokka's throat when he coughed. He also noticed the angry red welt marring her cheek, but he had absolutely zero intentions of bringing it up, for one it would be rude, but it would also making things weird. Things were already uncomfortable; he couldn't imagine making it worse. Just the thought made him want to cringe.

"Do you want to hear a joke?" he offers.

She looks up from her lap and shrugs; he takes this as a gesture to continue.

"What did the big chimney say to the little chimney?"

Zhen frowns. "I…I don't know."

"You're too young to smoke!"

The small smile that cracks on her lips is a small victory.

"Alright I've got another, why should a window not tell jokes?" he leans forward, a goofy grin on his face.

"I don't know, why?"

"Because it might crack up!"

She giggles. "You're quite the comedian Sokka."

He lets out an exasperated sigh and flops back into the sofa. "I know! You and my girlfriend are the only ones who actually appreciate my jokes; you've got an ear to true talent. I've got a lot more than those though."

Sokka shows no mercy and lets out an onslaught of his best jokes, leaving Zhen in tears and clutching her sides for dear life when Aang arrives with a flustered Katara. Honestly, he was confused. She'd been so upset just that morning and yet here she was, laughing to her heart's content. Katara heads towards the restroom and gestures for Zhen to follow. When the two women vacate the living area, Aang plops into a chair and sighs.

"So, what happened to her?" Sokka questions, seriousness written all over his face.

"I'm not sure if it's my story to tell." He replies.

"It looks like someone hit her in the face with a tree."

"I'm sorry Sokka, I can't tell you. It's Zhen's decision, not mine. It would be wrong to gossip about her, especially when she's just in the other room." He explains.

"Yeah you're right…I like her though. She likes my jokes."

"I noticed, good job on finally finding someone other than Suki who actually laughs."

"Oh whatever." Sokka huffs.

Aang starts making plans to go out and feed Appa who was taking up residence in a small barn near the inn when loud girlish laughter rings out from the restroom. Both men share a look before diverting their attention to the restroom door.

"I wonder what they're doing in there…" Aang muses.

Sokka rolls his eyes and scoffs. "Women… Always doing weird things in the bathroom just to confuse us men. It's unfair."

"No kidding." Aang nods.

Moments later the two women emerge from the restroom, Zhen in much higher spirits than Aang had found her that morning. The mark on her cheek is practically gone, thanks to Katara's healing. It eased his worries seeing a smile on her face; he wanted it to stay there. He didn't notice his face beginning to mirror his, a wide grin falling onto his lips.

"I'm going to walk Zhen home and she's going to help me glaze my coil pot, hopefully it's salvageable. And you know, other girl stuff. Bye guys!" Katara announced, walking with Zhen towards the door.

"Wait can I-"

Aang holds out his hand to stop them, but the front door is already slamming behind him. His shoulders slump in disappointment and he looks back at Sokka with a frown. Sokka shrugs and shakes his head.

"Women."

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See ya soon


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